Winery of the Week

Death of a Vineyard

"I was devastated...sure that there was no way to salvage this once great
Syrah vineyard and its rich history."

...Chuck Ortman, Winemaker,
Meridian Vineyards, Paso Robles, Ca.

The Rest of the Story

The dreaded phylloxera (fill-LOX-er-uh) insect had traveled down from northern
California, to destroy the vineyard that critic Bob Thompson said produced the benchmark
Syrah of the region. The loss of great grapes was particularly bad for Chuck Ortman,
because that's what he emphasizes: "My winemaking philosophy has always been
to let the fruit come through--to not over-make the wine."

His friend and neighbor, Gary Eberle, had planted the vines in 1973. Wasn't
there some way they could perpetuate them? Well, it would be a huge task but they
could take cuttings from the surviving vines, grow them in a nursery, tear out
the old rootstock, plant phylloxera-resistant stock, and graft those nursery vines
back onto the new wood. The entire vineyard was replaced. Chuck has just released
the first vintage made from the grafted vines. Clearly, he still is making a "benchmark"
Syrah, the 1996 Meridian Vineyards, 100% Syrah...rich fruit, easy on the tannins...$14.

Other
Wines

Sauvignon Blanc - Out in the vineyard again, Chuck had the trellis direction
changed to increase sun exposure and improve grape flavors. For details see the
Dec. 8, 1997 WineDay article, "A
Bargain Blanc."Chardonnay—The Ortman flagship. Top-notch.Cabernet Sauvignon—First place at the California State Fair. For more
about Chuck's 30-year love affair with grapes that led to these outstanding wines,
see the Aug. 1, 1997 WineDay, "Ortman's
Flight Plan." He moved south from the Napa Valley long before phylloxera
did.

Postscript

Why is the root-eating phylloxera so devastating? It's because they don't believe
in family planning. In less than one year, the descendants of one female will
amount to one BILLION bugs. (Wine Spectator)

About the Writer

Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years
on three continents. He currently teaches wine courses at San Francisco State
and San Francisco City College and is Northern California Editor for American
Wine on the Web. In 1995, the Academy of Wine Communications honored Fred with
one of only 22 Certificates of Commendation awarded to American wine writers.

Welcome to WineDay, the electronic Gourmet
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Then on Fridays we present the Winery of the Week to take you through the
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